Audi confirms future Q8 crossover model

by Chris Chase - March 11, 2015

In a state-of-the-union speech at the company’s annual press conference, Audi board chairman Rupert Stadler confirmed that the carmaker will add a “sporty” large luxury crossover to its lineup called the Q8, as part of an effort to further expand the brand’s product range.

We’ve seen numerous renderings of what the car could look like, but we like the one you see here, wearing styling cues suggesting how the Q8 might be styled as part of today’s Audi lineup.

In his own speech, Audi’s engineering chief, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, hinted indirectly that the all-electric Q8’s driving range could eclipse that of the Tesla Model X, with a battery pack as robust as 90 kilowatt-hours. As a point of reference, the awesomely-quick Tesla Model S P85D has an 85 kWh battery.

The Q8 would add Audi to the list of automakers—mostly German, coincidentally—getting into the four-door “coupe” game; unlike the upright Q7, the new range-topping model would feature more rakish lines reminiscent of BMW’s X4 and X6.

No target was mentioned for a Q8 on-sale date, but Stadler said the new model is key to the brand’s plan to expand its model range “from 52 to more than 60 models in the coming five years.” That expansion will also include an entry-level Q1 crossover model, said Stadler.

As a child, Chris spent much of his time playing with toy cars in his parents’ basement; when his mother would tell him to go play outside, he made car sounds while riding his bicycle or dug roads for his toys in the flower garden. Now he gets to indulge his obsession playing with real cars that make their own cool noises, and gets paid for it.